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tv   News 4 at 4  NBC  April 1, 2010 4:00pm-5:00pm EDT

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currently living in the u.s. how this all important document will peak you and your community and the penalty you face if you don't meet the deadline. good afternoon, everyone. welcome. i'm barbara harrison in for jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. this is dead line day in the effort to count the american people. that count affects the way you are represented here in washington. and how much money is sent back to your local communities. the officials with the u.s. census say far about 52% of the nation's households returned their census forms. the breakdown also looks good for the washington region. in virginia, 57% of the forms have been returned. while in maryland, 54% of household forms have been returned. in the district, the number is 47%. but if you are one of the millions that have yet to return yours, you may want to get on that. tracie potts is working the big story this afternoon and is live on capitol hill. hi, tracie. >> reporter: good afternoon. today is not the deadline day yes. those numbers for maryland and virginia look good.
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they are above the national average. but this year, census officials say they think they may have a little more difficulty tracking people down because of the housing crisis. ♪ you probably heard those hip new ads and should have the census form by now. the government counts everyone live something the u.s. through april 1st which means this newborn will be one of the last ones counted. local officials are making a big deal at rallies all over the country today and here is why. >> every missed resident could lose $13,000. >> reporter: all about the money. census determines how $400 billion are spent, who gets what for roads, schools, community programs. because the housing crisis dislocated so many people, the census bureau says that this time count everyone in your home
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whether they normally live there or not. but some latino ministers are telling their community don't fill it out because the government may tell immigration agents where to find you. the man in charge says that's not true. >> i can say honestly the president for some reason called me and asked me for your census form i can say no. that's not possible under the law. >> reporter: the president has already returned his. do make sure you have the right form because there are fake ones floating around asking for money, social security numbers, your signature, and even bank information. >> people called me, they have already filled out their form and sent it back. they are sick. >> reporter: so far just over half of u.s. households returned their census. have you two more weeks to do so before uncle sam comes knocking on your door. the census bureau telling everyone consider this form your contribution to helping the economy because we mail it back in just -- cost the government and taxpayer as few cents, cost
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after stamp. when they have to send someone to your house, it costs the government almost $60 per household. when you add up all of those homes, the total is $1.5 billion -- yes, billion with a "b" dollars. send your form back. >> tracie, thanks a lot. >> we posted anything and everything you want to know about the 2010 census on your website. on our website, that is. simply logon to nbcwashington.com ander is tch key word census on our homepage. how about this day? here is a live look outside right now with cherry blossoms beautiful around the tidal basin. we will soon be flirting with temperatures in the 80s. >> 72 right now. what a great day to get outside. let's talk to veronica johnson how long this will last. >> it will last for days across the area. the dry conditions, too. i don't know about you two but this is one of those hard-to-come to workdays. love the job but, gosh, it is so pretty outside. humidity is so low, it is
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comfortable and you can just imagine what kind of evening we are going to have across the area. right now middletown, maryland, old middletown road, look at that sky. cloud-preand gorgeous shot. 08 degrees is there currently. some spots have touched up around 80, mainly south and west of the area. culpeper, down through charlottesville, closer to that 80-degree reading. closer to the water with that bay breeze, 63 in pax river. 66 degrees, even lower there in annapolis. generally we have temperatures in the 70s from 72, adams morgan, bowie, prince george's county. now at 73 degrees. cloud-free skies for the area. clear, calm, gorgeous evening. high pressure staying over us. later tonight, by 9:00, 11:00 p.m., we will drop to 63. 60 degrees by 11:00. not too bad but coming up this easter weekend, with our rain-free stretch we will feel more like memorial day instead of easter. we will have those numbers for you in just a few minutes. pat? >> thanks, veronica. this afternoon, police are looking for a fourths is pegt
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following that mass shooting in the district. nine people were hit by bullets. four of them teenagers died tuesday. police have three suspects in custody but believe another person is still on the run. tracee wilkins has the latest from southeast washington where the pain is still very fresh. >> reporter: 18-year-old davaughn boyd's mother heard the shots that killed her son that night. >> i was right there on the scene. >> reporter: nardyne jefferies lost her son to the gunfire. >> my child barely weighed 100 pounds, shot in her temples with an a conservative-47. neck wide open. bullets all in her body. senseless. >> reporter: one of the shooting victims that survived, 14-year-old who says he was sitting on the corner with his friends remembering their friend
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whose funeral they had just attended, 20-year-old jordan howe, killed a week earlier. one of the suspects in his shooting was taken into custody in connection wh tuesday's shooting. but he was released when prosecutors said there wasn't enough evidence to hold him. last night, during the vigil, d.c. police chief cathy lanier addressed the issue. >> we don't always agree with the u.s. attorney's office. sometimes we have a difference of an opinion. my goal is to stop more people from being injured and when we submit an arrest warrant, the attorney's office, made decision. do we always agree? no. >> reporter: jordan howe's dad came to the scene of the mass shooting last night. and said the kids aren't only the ones that fought but local politicians that aren't connected to the community they represent. including his councilman who showed up during our interview. >> i'm mott shaking your hand. i'm mott shaking your hand. >> reporter: during a vigil, press conference last night, many other residents agreed that
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booed local leaders. >> mayor fenty said on "connecting with the mayor," after that vigil they met with some of the folks in that audience and ironed out some of the things that they were upset about. he said he wants to continue those conversations. southeast, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. >> police are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of the fourth suspect to give them a call. the pentagon says it completely is revicinitying the security at the arlington complex. new safety measures have been implemented in the wake of last months shooting outside of the pentagon metro station. the gunman, john patrick madell, was killed by return fire after he shot at officers. the pentagon forced protection agesy has stepped up screening of all visitors. the agency has also increased random inspections. the pentagon's security system is also in the midst of a multimillion dollar five-year overhaul. the aerl doctor accused of
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opening fire at ft. hood could be going from a hospital room to a jail cell. lawyers for major hassan say doctors at the army medical center gave him a discharge physical last night. however, there is month official word on whether hassan is being moved. he is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder in the shootings. hassan was shot by civilian police leaving him paralyzed. two prince george's county paramedics involved in a mistaken death case will be back on the job today. the ems workers were assigned to limited contact duty last friday. that's when they were called to a home in glenarden to check on a resident. the paramedics said he was dead but more than an hour later, a forensics team found the man was still alive. that man died in the hospital the next day. the prince george's county medical director is allowing the ems workers to return to duty. their actions are being reviewed. the d.c. mayor fenty presented his 2011 budget plan
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to the city council today. $555 million budget gap will mean less spending on programs. here's megan mcgrath. >> we will work hard with each and every one of you to try to adjust the budget rip mayor 10 i did briefed the council on his 2011 budget proposal this morning. there are deep cuts, hundreds of millions worth. there will be layoffs. speaking on "news4 today" this morning, fenty said hundreds of government workers will be affected. >> there is some things that will be cut within the budget and absolutely have to be. there probably will be in excess of 500 to 600 positions that will be eliminated in the government. that's just the types of tough decisions you have to make mott just in an economy but when you are running a government the size of the d.c. government and that's what i was elected to do. >> reporter: under the budget local spend lingo down 2.8%. some social programs will be
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scaled back. district workers may also see pay freezes. but fenty says the district will continue to provide quality rvices to its citizens. this morning's budget briefing was the first time mayor fenty and counsel till chair vincent gray have been in the same room together since gray announced he would challenge fenty in november. the encounter was very cordial. today april 1st was the deadline important the mayor to submit his budget. he will testify before the council on april 12th. in district, megan mcgrath, news4. >> we will have mor details on what could be impacted by the budget cuts coming up on "news4 at 5:00." national zoo is waiting once again to see if mthe panda are pregnant. he could be having what's known as a false pregnancy again. it is common in giant pandas. she has been through that about. it could take another month and a half before zookeepers know
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for sure if she is pregnant. she and her meant are on loan from china through the end of this year. their only cub, tai shan, who is no longer with us, was sent to china earlier this year. >> we have been through this before. >> we have. >> waiting. >> still ahead, we are going to look at rules of the road. also next at 4:15, what the obama administration is demanding from auto makers in an effort to curb global warming and what that means for your ride. at 4:30 shocking charges of boy scouts association of america is facing and why thousands of kids could be in danger. at 4:45, another local death linked to swine flu. why potential outbreak is once again becoming imminent here in the u.s. if we don't know how big our community is,
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how do we know how big our hospitals need to be? the census helps us know exactly what we need, so everyone can get their fair share of funding. we can't move forward until you mail it back. 2010 census.
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we may all be soon driving greener cars to get better mileage. several years from now, thgh. today's president obama's administration signed off on new standards that mandate better fuel efficiency. the environmental protection agency set new emission standards. changes are part of to can you greenhouse gases and defense on oil. people are worried about the cost. steve handelsman reports. >> reporter: it is an average to be phased in over four years. by 2016 the fleet of new vehicles sold in this country from the smallest cars to pickup trucks and suvs has to average
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nearly 50% better gas mileage. from 25 miles per gallon now to 35.5 in six years. that would save americans money and cut consumption of foreign oil. president obama's goal. 1.8 billion barrels of oil. that's like taking 58 million cars off the road for an entire year. >> reporter: the new rules should spur the sales of electric cars like the chevy volley. and the nissan leaf. development of hybrids and the like. environmentalists are happy. >> you can have cleaner vehicles, more efficient vehicles, vehicles that use less sxoyl cars that people want to drive. >> reporter: automakers say they can make enough high mileage cars and trucks but real americans in fact, buy them? >> i would pay more for a car that gets better gas mileage. >> i would be willing to pay more to get better. >> almost a need. >> reporter: manufacturers are still worried. >> we are really going to need consumers to buy these fuel-efficient technologies in
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large volumes in order to meet these tough new standards. >> reporter: but that's the law. 35.5 miles a gallon in 2016. plus, lower emissions to cut global warming. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, washington. >> companies that fall short of the new standards can expect to pay big fines. you can expect to burn a little more cash sitting on virginia roads soon. the virginia department of transportation says it is moving aggressively on five major road projects in northern virginia. they include the dulles rail project and the i-95 widening, hot lanes, near tysons corner, improvements near ft. belvoir and final leg of the woodrow wilson bridge project. officials say they will try to minimize the delays by scheduling the construction around the rush hours and during the overnight hours. but they say because of the proximity of the projects you should expect to be impacted. >> there will be a lot of closures, there will be a lot of
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disrupgs, whether it is noise or people having to plan and reassess how they will conduct their daily visits. >> motorists are urged to give yourself a little extra te and pack a little extra patience. if you are going to be traveling. ahead on "news4 at 4:00," blame game. >> communities growing outrage over a teen's suicide and the bullying that may have led to it. >> the disturbing details we are learning following the autopsy of a sea world trainer attacked by a killer whale. >> we will take you up north with folks who are still trying to recover following days of on and off again rain and record breaking flooding. i'm eun yang. you are waking up earlier and so are we. breaking news and the day ahead and weather and traffic 30 minutes rlier. start your day with
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for decades, the insurance lobby has called the shots...
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putting profits before people. but with gerry connolly's help... that's changing. with a law prohibiting insurance company denials... if you get sick or have a pre-existing condition. providing quality, affordable health care options... to individuals and small business owners. and closing the medicare prescription gap. congressman connolly, thank you. the democratic national committee is responsible... for the content of this advertising. final four teams are all in indianapolis gearing up for this weekend's big game. college basketball's elite are already pouring into the host
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city. saturday duke takes on west virginia. and michigan state will play butler. the winners of each game will play for the national championship on monday. butler university still has to travel too far to see their team. the school's campus in indianapolis is not far from where the final four games will be played. that will be a lot of excitement in this town. >> oh yeah. lot of excitement. let's ask veronica johnson who her pick is. >> i'm not going to be watching any basketball. i'm going to be outside, sun. >>'m with you. i'm with you, veronica. >> outside from sunrise to sunset if i can. at least for saturday and sunday. based on the number of smiles that i saw today, i would say that spring is probably, folks' favorite season around here. out there right now, we have low humidity. temperature just went up one degree. so few minutes ago, still rising across the area. we have 73 degrees, current temperature. wind blowing out of the south at southeast now. it is six miles per hour. let me show thank you temperatures across the
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northeast corner of the country because there aren't too many locations cool rig now. boston is at 53. 5 5 in caribou, maine. most part, close to 80 around detroit and 83 degrees currently in chicago. they are 10 degrees higher than what we are here. well, skies have certainly cleared across areas of the northeast. even though they have dry conditions there and sunshine, flooding continues to be a big concern. let me take you to wayne, new jersey, here. wayne, new jersey, where homes are still under water following two storms in less than a week's time. we have the video for you. maybe we don't. there we go. cars are with water up to their hubcaps still across the area. and the only way really to get around the water that high is by boat or wading through the murky water. march was new jersey's wettest month on record with almost ten inches of rain. even though that river crested, it will take days to see the
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water recede across the area. the good news is that there are no big storm expected across the east this weekend. we will be under high pressure so a dry, nice stretch for us. clear skies all through the area. let me show you front royal, virginia. again, this warmth coming into our area from west to east. we are see something of our higher readings across virginia. 83 degrees currently in front royal, virginia. for the western counties of virginia, low humidity, division of forestry cautioning against any open burning or camping coming up over the next couple of days. 78, kur emreading. leesburg, virginia. in and around these neighborhoods and alexandria, virginia, currently at 81 degrees. lot of warmth from the eastern half of the nation. look how cold it is out west. 39 boise, idaho. 39, salt lake city, utah. wouldn't want to be there. they have more snow from this weather system and new one that's been moving throug there will be another powerful storm coming in the pacific northwest. that storm you see in colorado,
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that's the one that will be making its way north and northeast ward. so by the time we go through the next 48 hours there you see it creeping in. this weather system will be falling apart as it heads to the east. i doubted we see showers make it across the mountains but could pick up a few high clouds late saturday. so back up into the upper 70s. close to 80 degrees tomorrow. quite pleasant conditions for the evening. 60 to 67 degrees. sunshine on tap starting early tomorrow. 40 to 45 degrees. sun rises at 6:51. tomorrow will feel a lot like may. this easter weekend will feel a lot like memorial day across the area. close to 80 monday. dry stretch continues until next -- next chance of rain showers the end of next week. probably now not until thursday. barbara? >> all right. thank you, veronica. >> you're welcome. >> actor and rapper ll cool j says his participation is bogus.
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he says the network is misrepresenting him of a planned interview after two-year old interview. in response fox producers have dropped their rapper's segment from the special and they say they believed his interview fit the show's criteria of uplifting stories. they say that they wish the, quote, fledgling actor good luck in his career. she's pop culture's favorite cult feline. hello kitty adorned practically everything and anything imaginable. and now she's finally all grown up. at least that's what it says on hello kitty's new line of wines. italian wine maker producing four different varieties with miss killy on their labels. one even has a hello kitty pendant dangling from the bottle neck. wines range in price from $20 to $30. those are not for your little girls. >> would you be drawn to the hello kitty label on a bottle of -- >> i don't think so.
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i don't think so. you can find "news4 at 4:00" on twitter and facebook. you can find us on both social networking sites by searching "news4 at 4:00." much more ahead. boy scouts scandal. >> disturbing details of what this nationwide organization is charged with and how your children could be at risk. >> plus, why there have been increased security around the homes and often many of our nation's governors. >> washington region is once again proving it could indeed be recession-proof. >> we are watching wall street this afternoon. the dow is up 70 points. nasdaq up four points. and the s&p 500 is also up eight points. welcome to the world of lovaza, where nature meets science.
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if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you may also have very high triglycerides -- too much fat in the blood. it's a serious medical condition. lovaza, along with diet, effectively lowers very high triglycerides in adults but has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes. lovaza starts with omega-3 fish oil that's then purified and concentrated. it's the only omega-3 medication that's fda-approved. you can't get it at a health food store. lovaza isn't right for everyone. tell your doctor if you're allergic to fish, have other medical conditions and about any medications you're taking, especially those that may increase risk of bleeding. blood tests are needed before and during treatment. in some, ldl or bad cholesterol may increase.
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possible side effects include burping, infection, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, and change in sense of taste. ask your doctor about lovaza, the prescription that starts in the sea.
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welcome back to "news4 at 4:00." i'm barbara harrison in for jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. some of the stories we are following in the news this hour, police are looking for a fourth suspect in the mass shooting tuesday night in the district. ni people were hit by bullets. power of them died. all were teenagers. police have three suspects in custody. security measures are in
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place at the pentagon and in response to last month's shooting at the metro station there. the pentagon forced protection agencies is stepping up random inspections and visitor screening. there's also a project to install new sensors at the complex that can detect biological and chemical weapons. today is census day. communities around the country are reminding residents to fill out those forms if they already have not. about 134 million forms went out. half of those have come out. if you didn't send yours in yet, you can expect a knock at the door or phone call. if you don't get in it in there today. mayor fenty says new big cuts are needed to balance d.c.'s budget. the 2011 budget includes slashing jobs and millions in fee increases for city's services. d.c.'s schools are one of the few areas that would seem more funding. the done sill has 54 days to review fenty's plan. our top story at 4:30 this afternoon, the boy scouts of america on trial. accused of failing to protect kids from suspected child
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molesters. an oregon man, former scout, says he was molested by a scout leader in the 1980s. his lawyers are using confidential boy scouts files to back up that claim. here's lee cowan. >> reporter: in court he is referred to as jack doe, number power. testifying about as an 11-year-old boy scout in the early 1980s which he says was anything about a character building experience. >> grabbed my hand. put it up into his shorts. >> reporter: talking about his former scout leader. a convicted child molest or who admitted to abusing otheroy scouts in the past. >> the boy scouts started realizing after they were formed in 1910 they had a problem with guys getting into scouting that should not be with kids. >> reporter: over the years, confidential memos, the boy scouts of america dubbed, the proceed version files began filing up. thousands of pages documenting
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thousands of molesters the organization hoped to track to keep out of scouts. >> what they were hope for was everybody hoped for especially in the '70s and '80s was to get the molester to go away and hope nobody talks about it. >> boy scout sing one of the few institutions to balance the rather softening effect of our modern way of life. >> reporter: the boy scouts of america turned 100 this year. since its inception, has been known for teaching young boys to always be prepared. but for victims of abuse like paul livingston molested by catholic priest, secrecy is no badge of honor. >> when you hide files you protect perpetrators and you are as guilty as the rest. it shun be a practice in any large corporation. >> reporter: boy scouts of america are fighting the 14 million dollar lawsuit but a spokesman says that he couldn't comment because the case is ongoing. still in a videotaped statement he insists that parents should not call the organization's integ pretty into question. >> i want to ensure thank you
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safety of our youth members is our highest priority. >> reporter: but with so many pages detailing so much prove r si so he has to convince the jury. >> the boy scouts organization could face as much as $54 million in total damages if it loses the lawsuit the trial is now in its third week. vatican officials continue to defend pope benedict xvi and the latest sex abuse scandal hit the catholic church. today a senior vatican official accused "the new york times" of unfair reporting on the scandal. cardinal william lavata heads the vatican office that deals with clergy sex abuse. on the vatican website today he said the pope that put procedures in place to help the church deal with clernlg clergy sex abuse and pope is owed a debt of gratitude for that. there is growing outrage in massachusetts over a teen's suicide and the bullying that
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may have led to it. 15-year-old stevie prince hanged herself in january and she was allegedly bullied at south hadley high for months. she was tormented in the hallways and tormented emotionally through text messages, facebook, twitter. prosecutors have filed harassment and civil rights chargeagainst nine of her classmates. most of them girls but many parents say that school administrators should be punished as well. phoebe's mother said she told the school officials about the bullying and they did nothing. a family friend says the last straw came as phoebe was walking home from school one day. >> a car with a couple of kids in it, chuck ad drink at her and called her an irish whore. why don't you kill yourself and she did. >> school officials say they only learned about the bullying a week before phoebe's death. south hadley's parents say they won't file charges against them. at the very least they want the officials fired. many of the nation's governors have increased security because of threats
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against them. the threats are in letters from a group threatening to commandeer state offices and the fbi believes that all 50 governors are getting the letters. authorities described the group as anti-government and maybe affiliated with another group that believes the u.s. currently set up is a fraud. last year federal agents raided the home after man connected with that movement and confiscated weapons. violence and brutally. autopsy shows the sea world orlando trainer attacked by a killer whale died of drowning and traumatic injuries. the 12,000-pound orca snatched 40-year-old dawn in february. the medical examiner said the train ees injuries were so or yisk there was little chance she could have survived. the death was ruled an accident. what is still unclear, though is why the orca went after her. >> trained by hand signals.
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it is possible they misread the hand signal from the trainer. >> the whale is still living at sea world. but it is no longer perfect forming. it was the third time the animal had been involved in a person's death. fema is holding a fire sale. the agency is auctioning off thousands of trailers used by displaced storm victims after hurricane katrina. fema's trying to recoup some of the billions of dollars it cost to house gulf coast victims and millions more lost after toxic substances were found in some of the trailers. mobile home dealers are concerned the government will flood the market with the deeply discounted second-hand trailers. the auction will be held online through a government website. just ahead on "news4 at 4:00," crunching the numbers. >> the auto industry sales reports are out and one car maker is offering its deepest discounts ever. >> also, the april fools' joke by google. that's gone viral.
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literally. words of warning for pet owners about what's in the home that could pose a deadly risk to man' how do we know how how mmany roads we need?e, the census helps us know exactly what we need, so everyone can get their fair share of funding.
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we can't move forward until you mail it back. 2010 census. ♪ music plays ♪ [ sneezing ]
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♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you he an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms -- runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes -- and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life. the crew of the space shuttle "discovery" arrived this morning. during the 13-day mission the crew will conduct three space
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walks and they will deliver supplies to the international space station. "discovery" is scheduled for liftoff monday morning. >> should have nice weather, i imagine, down there. we will still have sunshine on monday. right? >> that we will around here. still on monday, it will continue. today gorgeous spring day across the area. today nice and today is also the 50th anniversary, first weather satellite that lifted off from cape canaveral florida, opening noon. this one was known as tiros-1. observation satellite giving us the first -- yes, fuzzy picture, of thick bands and clusters of the clouds over the united states. but it certainly started things off. 73 degrees in the district. it is 77 in mclean right now. 75 in manassas. some of our highest temperatures just to the south and west. so by tomorrow morning, we will drop to the 50s. we will keep the clear skies around. and we will see highs tomorrow getting close to 80 degrees.
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we will take another look at your 7-day forecast and your pollen count coming right up. >> thanks, veronica. when we come back, "news4 at 4:00," flu fears. why after months of dormant activity fears over the swine flu are making a comeback. >> plus, a new home price report just leased. points to some positive signs about the washington real estate market. >> how you can turn what you might conder worthless junk into cold hard cash. 3q
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i have big news for everybody with frequent heartburn. let me show you. there's a new 24-hour heartburn formula that's different. it's called zegerid otc. only zegerid otc has both prescription strength-medicine and a special ingredient to allow its powerful medicine to be quickly absorbed.
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zegerid otc controls and suppresses acid all day and all night. there's a brilliant new idea in heartburn relief. new zegerid otc. discover the difference.
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seems the flu season long since peaked but we are still seeing fatalities connected through h1n1. the there is a spike in cases in a southeastern region of the country. erica edwards has more on how to protect yourself from the still present threat. >> reporter: sights and sounds of spring. for many doctors, this means the waiting room is filling up with allergy patients. but there is another reason people are heading to the doctor. >> takes you off guard. >> reporter: dr. gilchrist is a family physician in charlotte, north carolina. this year, it is part of a spring spike in h1n1 cases. >> we have seen a few cases recently within the last couple of weeks. >> reporter: cdc officials confirm the virus is still
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circulating. particularly in the southeast. >> the h1n1 virus hasn't disappeared. it is still smouldering, still being transmitted in our communityties. >> reporter: experts aren't sure if it is the start of another waver a blip. what they do know is that the doctors have given more than 80 million doses of vaccines but leaves millions more vulnerable. >> there have been several different vaccine formulations and some of them have an expiration date that goes into the fall. so there's still good vaccine out there. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of doses are still available. if you can't handle the spring sneeze, you may consider asking your dock for a swine flu shot during your allergy checkup. erica edwards, nbc news. >> doctors say that it is not too late to get a swine flu shot. last year there were cases that popped up through the summer. those who were vaccinated in the fall are still protected. to the economy now. you are living in the best area in the country to own a home.
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a new home price reports finds houses on average around here are 78% higher than they were in january of 2000. one reason for our area's strong performance is the scarcity of land for development. and unemployment here is consistently among the ten lowest in the country. while highest housing prices aren't what they were during the boom times they have recovered from their lows. one broker in alexandria says both sales and prices have been increasing. march was a good month for auto industry sales, too, as some major car makers shook off the winter blues. toyota, ford, honda and gm all reported huge gains over this time last year. ford and toyota reported gains over 40% whilegm and honda reported sales increases of 20%. chrysler was the one big automaker to report bad news as sales falling about 8%. j.d. power and associates estimates that overall vehicle sales in the u.s. rose 23% in march.
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ahead on "news4 at 4:00," need information online? topeka it. >> we will tell you why google decided to change its name. more than obvious chemicals in pesty tides around your house that could poison your pet. >> don't forget about twitter and facebook. we are always posting updates and breaking news. you can find us on both sites by searching "news4 at 4:00."
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if you have been on google today, you may have noticed that the popular search engine changed its name to topeka, as in topeka, kansas. officials at google, now to pea can a, say it was difficult to give up the hugely recognizable google brand but popular search engine is transitioning to this new name. if you are falling for this, you forget this is april fools' day. google pulled this prank in response to the mayor of to pea can a, kansas previously announcing he wanted to change the name of his city to goog. >> there is no ring to. >> it did you try doing www.to pea can a.com? >> no, i googled like always. >> let's check out the weather. absolutely beautiful, veronica. >> it is beautiful.
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>> gold star. >> thank you very much. so we are bringing this pan across the area to show you how gorgeous it is here in d.c. we have some lovely weather across the area. temperatures are in the low to mid 70s. few locations south and west. there is the monument. washington monument. gotten close to 80. close to 80, manassas, virginia. in and around the neighborhood. let me show one of the neighborhood network right there. rave ravenscrest at 77 degrees. the air i dry. yes. the warmer weather, maple, elm, cedar, cypress and juniper, still high at 117 grains per cubic meter today. there you are. temperatures from 73 in the district, 72, baltimore. 57 degrees in annapolis. pax river at 63. cool spot. big range from the 50s to the 80s right now. so by tomorrow morning, we will see temperatures starting out
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anywhere between 45 and 50 degrees. dry stretch for us as we get to 80 with sunshine tomorrow and even the next couple of days, too. nice four-day forecast coming up. back to you, barbara, pat. >> all right. thank you very much, veronica nchs after the break on "news4 at 4:00," we will all have what considered junk lying around. most of you consider the items worthless, you may want to reconsider. we will tell you [ howard ] natalie is the last one to leave home.
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but not a moment too soon, right? howard and linda were saving for natalie's college since she was born. she's going to need a lot of stuff. those everyday things we didn't plan on. so we showed them how wachovia's way2save program could help. ♪ every time they swipe their check card to make a purase, a dollar is automatically transferred from their checking account to their savings account. and they get a bonus just for saving. [ natalie ] my bedroom is gonna be turned into an office for them. that's what i'm giving back to them. [ male announcer ] with you when it's time to save. wachovia. a wells fargo company.
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coming up tomorrow on "news4 at 4:00" -- >> may seem like a legit posting on craigslist but it is a scam. why you may want to think twice or do a little extra research before planning your spring or summer vacation. that story tomorrow on four power. you may not realize it but things in your home that appear harmless may actually poison your pet. it is more than just chemicals. it is items that could be in your pantry or your refrigerator. for example, dogs' bodies cannot tolerate grapes, raisins, or chocolate. they can also not have onions, raw potatoes, bread dough, avenue cad owes. one woman's dog almost died after eating sugarless gum interest found lying around her house. >> it is in lots of things, pudings and sugarless cough drops. and lots of different sugarless
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human food. >> the gum that lease's dog ate contained the ingredient zyletol. it is found in pudding, cough drops and other sugarless foods. social networkers are atwitter. the twitter homepage looks different today. designed especially for newbies. slowly scrolling list of top tweets that change every few seconds. a rolling marquee displays hot topics. we all have what we think is junk lying -- thank you. thank you very much. >> thanks, bash ranchlgts we have what we think is junk lying around our homes. old lawn mower may be -- or old tools. while st of us consider the items worthless you may want to reconsider that. that's because these days you could turn some of those junk items into cash.
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huge machines, smash and crush cars. and snap pieces of metal at this scrap yard. you find used tires piled up here and old microwaves, most of us call junk. but not carolyn. >> actually, there is a lot of value right here. >> reporter: the general manager of northern car crushers says that these days the value of junk is going up. >> whereas a year ago, prices were very low, some prices have tripled to -- since then. >> reporter: prices of materials like steel, aluminum, copper, the car crushers recycle this material and they are getting more money for it these days. thanks in part to growth in the manufacturing industry. call it a simple case of supply and demand. >> domestic mills have increased their production because of the manufacturing. the railroad projects have started to go. the bridge projects, they just
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come in and we weigh them o our scale and pay them by the weight of whatever they bring in. >> reporter: she says if you are considering making a trip to the scrap yard, now is the time to do it. >> the market is very strong right now. it is a fickle market. it is very unstable. so we don't know even what next month will bring. >> reporter: right now, you may find an easy way to turn trash into cash. >> shorage of iron and steel scrap has sent prices soaring by as much as 70% since last year. go clean up your garage. that's "news4 at 4:00." "news4 at 5:00" starts right now. tonight the man hundred continues for a suspect. still on the run after the worst shooting in the district in more than a decade.
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anger swelled in a neighborhood that's no stranger to violence. >> i'm not shaking your hand. >> i'm sorry. >> i'm not shaking your hand. >> reporter: there are new questions about whether there was a breakdown in the criminal justice system that could have prevented a tragedy. good afternoon. welcome to "news4 at 5:00." i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm barbara harrison. jim handly is off tonight. police investigators are piecing together evidence of what led to one of the worst shootings in d.c.'s history. nine people hit by bullets at a drive-by shooting in southeast washington on tuesday night. four of them died. all teenagers. police have three suspects in custody and another suspect is believed to be at-large. pat collins joins us live from northwest washington with the latest. pat? >> reporter: the search is on for the fourth suspect in this south capitol shooting case. sources say that this suspect may be l

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